Adoption

We have just had the most amazing thanksgiving service for our second grandson. My daughter and son-in-law have been on the adoption journey for a number of years and were overjoyed when my daughter conceived their first child and they had a son. But when they tried to have another child, they had the sorrow of losing two babies, two years running. Returning to the adoption route, they asked us to pray they would be able to adopt.

We were able to take care of our grandson as they embarked on some training courses about fostering to adopt in February 2020. Just as these courses finished, the national Lockdown came and all the future meetings with social workers, child finders, matching panel and final court approval had to be done by zoom. When I was praying, God encouraged me by the Scripture verse which says, ‘Weeping may endure for a night, But joy comes in the morning’ (Psalms‬ ‭30:5‬ b,NKJV‬‬). I made myself a picture of this verse with a dark rain cloud, the rain, and the sun rising and a rainbow in the sky. I put it up on my kitchen fridge to remind me to trust in God and not worry. ‬‬‬‬

Yet in some ways, during the Lockdown, they were able to speed up the procedures somewhat and were having the introductory meeting to their future son by the beginning of August 2020. ‘But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons’ ‭‭(Galatians‬ ‭4:4-5‬). ‭They were able to take him into their home by the end of August and the adoption was finalised and made legal by March 2021.‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

At the thanksgiving service, which was filled with many dear friends who had been praying for them, our pastor explained that the adoption procedure is costly and many legal requirements must be satisfied, but that, when we were received as adopted children of our heavenly Father, we did not have to do anything other than receive and enjoy the blessings. The price was paid by God’s Son, Jesus. All the legal responsibilities were taken care of for us. We were given His name, His love and our inheritance. ‘But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God’ (John‬ ‭1:12‬).‬‬‬‬

‘For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father! The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him’ (Romans 8:15-17‬).

Prayer: Father God, I thank You that You chose to adopt me into Your family and paid the great cost by giving Your Son Jesus Christ to take the punishment for my sins. Thank You that He satisfied all the requirements of the Law that I could not. I thank You that I can know for sure that I belong to You and You love me and welcome me into Your family and that I can call you ‘Abba Daddy’. Amen.